To heavily misquote AC/DC, “If you want a Bamberg style smoked lager brewed by Norway’s home brewer of the year…You’ve got it.”
I really can’t decide either way with this beer.
Generally I can’t fault Nøgne Ø, but there’s something here that just doesn’t feel quite right.
The beer looks lovely, pouring a dark mahogany with a coffee coloured ring of a head, but it smells of old leather satchels and doused house fire.
As for how it tastes, there’s a sweet chocolate caramel thing in the malting and a reasonable peppery dry leaf crunch to the hopping, but there’s something in the smokiness that tastes to much like a flavouring.
I’m sure there’s nothing artificial here, it just sadly has that quality.
And coupled with a not too pleasant alcohol burn, it doesn’t make this a pleasurable beer.
As I said at the top, generally I love Nøgne Ø but this one falls very short of the mark.
And to misquote Ac/DC again, “It’s a long way to the top if you want a smokey Bamberg.”

About Simon Williams

Founder of CAMRGB.
Member of The British Guild Of Beer Writers.
Leftist bigmouth.
Old and grumpy.